When I was growing up, I really enjoyed the times my father would take our family fishing on our boat. Once we found where we wanted to fish, we’d take our anchor and drop it overboard. What surprised me was how our little eight-pound anchor would hold our boat from moving away from our chosen spot. That anchor would sink and hook into the bottom, and no matter what the wind or current did to move our boat, our anchor would hold us in place. Being anchored gave our boat stability so we could then stay put and catch a lot of fish!
God’s Word is like that anchor. In a life surrounded with winds and currents that attempt to move us, the Word of God gives us stability. We can hold God’s Word in our minds, hold it fast with determination and commitment, and stay put where we can claim and enjoy the blessings and rewards of our heavenly Father.
Holding God’s Word in our minds provides us with stability.
II Thessalonians 2:15:
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions [the delivery of truth] which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
In this verse, to stand fast means to stand firm, to persevere. We can hold God’s Word in our minds and stand firm, not allowing circumstances to push us in a direction we don’t want to go. We anchor ourselves by holding on to the Word of God that we have learned. From our personal study, household fellowships, Sunday Teaching Services, and Way Magazine articles, we glean many truths from God’s Word that we can learn and apply in everyday situations. Holding these truths in our minds and hearts gives us stability on the Word, no matter what the circumstance.
God’s Word gives us stability in life.
Isaiah 33:6:
And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear [respect] of the Lord is his treasure.
In this verse, “stability” is firmness, security, faithfulness. God’s Word gives us the stability to stand fast on His Word and claim His promises.
I remember standing on a boat dock years ago where some of the wooden support pilings had rotted, causing the dock to lose the stability and strength it once had. Standing on the dock was awkward, as it would easily sway back and forth. After we fixed the dock, it was stable again and held us steady. The wisdom and knowledge of God’s Word gives us the strength and stability to stand firm and not be swayed to and fro in our thinking.
We have seen that holding God’s Word in our minds provides us with stability. We anchor ourselves by holding on to the Word we have been taught, applying its truths in our lives. The wisdom and knowledge of God’s Word gives us strength and stability in life, no matter what the circumstance.
Holding God’s Word in our minds involves our personal determination and commitment. In Ephesians we see God’s desire that we stand on His Word with commitment.
Ephesians 6:14:
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth….
We stand by having our loins girt about with the truth of God’s Word. “Loins” figuratively refers to the commitment center of our will. We stand by making up our minds to stay put. Our commitment to God is to do our best to live and apply His Word in situations that come up in life.
We determine to stay anchored by keeping the Word of God in the depth of our hearts and minds. We purposefully handle situations that come up in our lives with Biblical solutions. By taking the necessary believing action, we do not allow ourselves to get tripped up. When we hold fast to the Word in our hearts and minds, we do not let it slip away.
Hebrews 2:1:
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
We take the necessary action to hold the Word in our minds, putting on the thoughts of God’s Word by our own free will. We renew our minds to God’s Word—meaning we hold the Word in mind and act accordingly. We seek God with our whole hearts, taking heed to the Word to remember it and not let it slip away. We don’t just “go with the flow.” Often the “flow” may go in directions that are contrary to the truth of the Word.
Instead, we “give the more earnest heed,” which shows that holding the Word close in our minds requires more than a casual approach. Giving the more earnest heed is applying the mind or considering more abundantly. This takes a deliberate, strong, and clear mind-set toward the Word. Hebrews 2:1 shows us that by giving the more earnest heed to God’s Word, we can keep ourselves from slipping away from the Word….
This is an excerpt from the July/August 2006 issue of The Way Magazine.
Copyright© 2006 by The Way International. All rights reserved.
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